User Post: Viewpoints - Life From A Teenager's - We Really Do Listen to You

Bri

Hello everybody!

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So yesterday, I was reading a post on here, and it inspired me so much. Manic Motherhood's Five things I want my teen to know really got me thinking, and after commenting on her very well done post, I decided maybe I should start posting on here.

I think I have a lot to offer as a teen, and maybe help parents here get a point of view from our level. Now, I know it's important for teens to see life from their parents point of view too, and I think if they can understand each other, life will be so much easier.

First off, I decided to write about the fact that, even though us teenager's seem to have selective hearing, we really do hear everything you say.

And before I begin, I am not stereotyping every teenager. I myself am one, and we are all different. So if some of this doesn't sound like your teenager, that's okay :)

1. When you tell us to do chores

The most dreaded thing a parent can say to us... how dare you :). But when you tell us "Sally, clean you room!" or "Billy, empty the dishwasher!", and we don't immediately respond.... well maybe then repeat yourself ;).... but if we do say "Okay" or "Whyyyyyyy", we hear you loud and clear! And we WILL get to it... and I apologize if it isn't right away. I personally try to do it right away... but end up doing it a half hour later..or a day... so my mom decided to set time quotas.

If the specified chore isn't done in the set time, well then that's that much time off TV, computer, or friend time. It wasn't necessarily "grounding", because it wasn't a long-term punishment. But, it wasn't the annoying nagging, and the longer you went without doing the chore after the quota, that much more time was taken off. But just so you know parents, we hear you, and sometimes we just need a little push. ;) Or a reminder...

2. When you are giving us advice

Believe it or not, when you are trying to help us, we are secretly listening to you. Sure on the outside we pretend like we would want to be 9729353 miles away, but we actually enjoy your company. I love when my mom gives me advice, and I am sure other teens do to. I have actually ended up using her advice more than once, and it has saved me soooo many groundings! I remember she told me to call her if I ever am in an uncomfortable situation.. no matter the time or place she would be there. And of course I was like "Yea sure, because I would want you to come get me from that awesome party."

Well, as if coincidence, I got in a hairy situation with one of my "friends" and I was wishing with every fiber of my being to be anywhere but there. So I went to the bathroom, called my mom and told her to come pick me up down the street. I told everyone I was in big trouble and my mom wanted me to come home so I had to leave, and I walked down the street where she got me. Because of that, she was not mad at me at all, she had some questions, and she was grateful that she knew I could count on her. She ended up trusting me more too. So, when you are giving us advice, we actually are listening, and we appreciate that more than you will ever know.


So, to all the parents out there, we really do listen to what you say. Sometimes we are forgetful, but hey, that's what being a teen is about. Learning responsibility and exploring the world around us. And that's also why we still live with our parents.... we need them even if we would rather walk through fire than admit that.
And remember when you were a teen too!

What do you parents think? Agree, disagree? Let me hear what you have to say!